Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Broadleaf Batavian Endive is also commonly known by the name Escarole and is a slightly bitter lettuce-like green that makes a great addition to spring mixes or cooked with hearty greens like spinach or swiss chard. This plant will grow into tightly packed, well blanched heads with a creamy heart and a slight twist on the leaves. Broadleaf Batavian Endive will produce the best tasting crops when planted early or late in the growing season to avoid the hottest temperatures. Try adding this green to a salad, grilled for burgers, or in a ramen or soup.
NAME: Endive (Cichorium endivia)
VARIETY: Broadleaf Batavian
DAYS TO MATURITY: 55 – 60 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 4 – 10
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Fertile, loam soil with a pH 6.2 – 6.8
PLANT HEIGHT: 8 – 14 inches
SPACING: 12 – 16 inches apart
TEMP: 45 – 85ºF
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Start seeds indoors 2 weeks before your last local frost date, in cell trays with 2 to 3 seeds per cell.
Use a loose & fluffy seed starting soil mix.
Water in seeds generously and germination will occur in 6 to 11 days.
Once the first set of true leaves show, thin out all but one of the seedlings per cell.
You can also start them in large pots if you plan to grow them entirely in pots.
When the seedlings are two inches tall, harden off seedlings for several days before transplanting outside. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process).
When transplanting, plant the seedling into the soil up to the base of the stem, spacing the plants 6 inches apart
If direct seeding endive outdoors, plant each seed 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows that are spaced 12 inches apart.
Once they get to be a few inches tall and show their true leaves thin them out so they are spaced 6 inches apart.
It is ideal to plant endive in the spring and fall in a spot that is in full sun.
If you want to grow endive during the hottest weeks of summer, partial shaded areas or additional shade cloth can, to an extent, help prevent bolting caused by hot weather.
Endive grows best in loose, fertile soil with good drainage and a pH between 6.5-7.0; adding compost to the soil prior to planting will help provide essential nutrients and improve drainage.
If you plant endive in successive plantings, with 10 to 14 days in between, you will have an extended harvest.
To prevent summer bolting, stop planting one month before the hottest summer temps start.
Plant fall-harvested endive towards the end of summer so it reaches maturity by late fall, when the air is cool, but not yet below 40°F.
Harvest Broadleaf Batavian Endive when the heads are firm and full-sized, typically 70-90 days after planting.
Use a sharp knife or garden shears to cut the heads off at the base of the plant.
Endive can be harvested as whole heads or by removing individual leaves as needed for salads or cooking.
Store harvested endive in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or container for up to two weeks.
